Strategic Thinking: A Jump-In Gal’s New Chapter

Gearing up for the start of the Senior Leader Diploma Apprenticeship with the University of Gloucester

25 June 2025

Fliss Falconer

Strategic Thinking

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a jump-in-without-looking kind of gal. It’s ‘never done me wrong’—but in reality, living this way means relying on my wits, fuelling stress and anxiety with copious coffee, and mastering the deep-breath pep talk.

I think the biggest part of my personality that makes others look on either wide-eyed or with despair is my undiagnosed something-or-other that compels me to deep-clean the house when I’ve got a deadline looming...

So, I knew that when the opportunity presented itself to improve my strategic thinking, to develop my role that I gave up teaching to pursue, and would be part-time for three years so I could still work and earn, I jumped at it.

Who’s surprised.

So much rests on the support not only of my wonderful and long-suffering family, but my fantastic team who are giving me the space, time and support to undertake this.

Like a diet, tell everyone so you stick at it, I’m making my ‘portfolio’ public in a way to stay motivated. Stay tuned.

1. Why this, why now?

Working with my students for the twelve years I was a teacher showed me so many ways that children’s education was seen as their one chance to do well that would pave the way for their bright futures. I’ve since matured myself in this thought process.

We are constantly growing and evolving, and that means that all children should be nurtured and supported in becoming the adults we want to see take charge of this world. That means allowing them the chances for do-overs and for getting it wrong without the fear, anxiety or pressure that they are failing when things don’t go their way.

I also know many of my peers who still feel that their time in education let them down and they were made to feel shame for their learning process, not given the resources and tools to cope and that they have felt they have been playing catch up ever since.

I don’t buy the dismissive idea that ‘everyone is on the spectrum these days.’ I believe in the principle of: when you know better, do better. With more research, professional curiosity and reflective practice, I hope that all educators are doing all they can to fully and holistically support their pupils and their families to navigate a post-epidemic world, and to take the best of technological advances and recapture the social and community elements.

When people think they may have ‘done better in school’ if they had been given an earlier diagnosis and the right tools to support them, I don’t want our current cohorts of pupils to think they were let down by their professionals who used legal intervention as a punitive measure to tackle their attendance rather than seeking every other option to dig into the root cause of why they were not coming into school.

I could not keep teaching Macbeth if there were no pupils in front of me to teach.

Schools in Gloucestershire exhaust all options to support pupils and families as part of the ‘Support First’ ethos from the Department for Education and shared by Gloucestershire County Council.

Now for the next steps.

2. Our community

This is going to be a space for me to share my learning journey with the University of Gloucester and a place to share ideas, resources, methods and success stories. Starting in Gloucestershire, I am hoping to offer these elements to all educators.

Attendance is safeguarding—it’s everyone’s business.

And I am equally invested and curious about people’s experiences, concerns, queries and their own navigation stories with school attendance.

3. Initial Manifesto

This is my starting point—a manifesto that will grow as my learning deepens.

(Apparently, a manifesto is a great start to strategic thinking. Planning, who knew?!):

1. Supportive Legal Interventions: Prioritising support over punitive measures, ensuring legal action is a last resort.

2. Bespoke Training & Support: Tailoring interventions with SMART targets for effective staff and pupil development.

3. Regular Check-ins: Incorporating 6-weekly reviews during half-terms to monitor progress and provide ongoing support.

4. Resource-rich Support: Providing practical resources and tools for both staff and pupils.

5. Ethical AI Integration: Guiding safe and effective AI use respecting confidentiality and GDPR.